All cash tips to crew must go into a pool ?

[LARGIN]

I called Princess, not that I don't believe any of you but there were so many mixed messages.

 

I was told that whether you tip in the beginning of the cruise or the end. The Steward or Server will place the tip into an envelope, place your cabin number on it and it will be given to his/her manager. At the end of the cruise, the manager will check to see which cabin has removed the auto tip. If all tips are in-tact the Steward or Server is handed back the envelope(s).

 

Ship workers work by very strict standards and, if the rules are broken they are sent packing. And, usually, at their own expense. They all work in very close quarters and know everything about each other. There are no secrets and no secret stashes!

 

There is a code of honor that is followed by all employees. It makes for better working conditions and promotes an environment of more pleasant workers. If there's a liar or thief amongst the crew.....this person is weeded-out and usually can not get another job on any other line.

 

Yes !!!

[coiran]

I called Princess, not that I don't believe any of you but there were so many mixed messages.

 

I was told that whether you tip in the beginning of the cruise or the end. The Steward or Server will place the tip into an envelope, place your cabin number on it and it will be given to his/her manager. At the end of the cruise, the manager will check to see which cabin has removed the auto tip. If all tips are in-tact the Steward or Server is handed back the envelope(s).

 

Ship workers work by very strict standards and, if the rules are broken they are sent packing. And, usually, at their own expense. They all work in very close quarters and know everything about each other. There are no secrets and no secret stashes!

 

There is a code of honor that is followed by all employees. It makes for better working conditions and promotes an environment of more pleasant workers. If there's a liar or thief amongst the crew.....this person is weeded-out and usually can not get another job on any other line.

 

Thank you - there ya go! Friend of a steward!!

Ron

[Meiying]

The tipping topic always gets people going...:rolleyes:

 

We just got off the Island Princess on Monday. I loved our room steward and I specifically asked him this question since it seems to always be a hot topic here. I asked him if I gave him money at the end of the cruise if he got to keep it. He told me that he gets to keep anything that is given to him. I then specifically asked him if we removed the auto-tips if he would have to give the money into a "pool" and he again told me all the money would be his money.

 

This is an issue I am guessing no one but the room stewards really knows.

[comfortcove]

Wow, after many, many cruises we have always tipped the steward/stewardess on Day 1, and except for twice, at the end of the cruise, in addition to mandatory tipping. I always assumed they kept the cash, maybe I am way off. They usually seem very pleased with cash tips. Please don't cancel tips unless service is miserable and hostile (We had one steward like this on X, but still left him his regular. We figured he was too much of a loser to lose his tips.)

 

Nancy

[Gay Cruiser]

We always leave the auto tip amount on our S&S card account. I sometimes tip extra to those who deserve it. I also tip room sericve at time of food delivery.

I also go to Sam's Club and get prepaid phone cards a package of 7- 120 min. cards. They cost about 30.00 for a package of 7. I know most crew members call internationally. These "domestic prepaid" cards can also be used for international calss for a higher per min. unit rate.

I just wish the cruise lines would add the service charge to the base price of the fare and be done with it. On a Infinity cruise that was cancelled due to "POD" problems many angry people "stiffed" the people thier tips. It wasn't their fault our cruise was cancelled.

[Pam in CA]

I read your posts... Hopefully that knowledgeable room steward friend is the girl you were smitten with a year ago on a one week cruise and haven't heard from since. As you said in another post, you had your doubts about her.. :rolleyes:

 

Here is the facts for the umpteenth time.. Stewards have to pool any tip you give them if you remove the auto-tip. Same with the wait staff..

Ditto. Your room steward "friend" is giving you a load of merde.

[rdsqrl]

Of course stewards and waiters have to initially turn in extra tips so autotipping can be verified. It's just elementary logic and basic fairness that if a passenger turns off the auto-tip, the cruise line is going to have a system in place to ensure that behind-the-scenes workers (buffet guys, stewards' assistants, etc.) don't suffer just because Passenger X has a rich man/beggar complex and wants to hand out cash tips to his steward and waiter himself. A system like this is in place in almost every restaurant, where waitstaff are required to tip-out to busboys, hosts, etc. So obvious is this to me, that I can't understand why people don't get it. I'll also add that I've never given an extra tip to a room steward without him noting cabin number on the envelope I handed him -- and I'm sure that's not because he wanted to send me a thank-you note later.

[comfortcove]

Well, we are people who don't know much about the sevice industry. We are both professional people. I guess cash tipping above the auto tipping is bad, from what I read here. Ha, ha. However, we have been out and about quite a bit, and like to spread some happiness on vacation. I have never seen a crew member put a number on a bill, or ask for an envelope.

[cactusrose]

Well, we are people who don't know much about the service industry. We are both professional people. I guess cash tipping above the auto tipping is bad, from what I read here. Ha, ha. However, we have been out and about quite a bit, and like to spread some happiness on vacation. I have never seen a crew member put a number on a bill, or ask for an envelope.

 

Cash tipping in addition to the auto-tip is not bad and no one on this board said it was. The point of most very experienced cruisers who have posted on this thread is that if you take the auto-tip off. Let me repeat that IF YOU TAKE THE AUTO-TIP OFF, and give them cash they will have to turn in the cash and the amount up to what the auto-tip would have been will be pooled, anything over and above the auto-tip amount will be returned to them. Now when you are out and about handing out cash, I'm assuming you are not talking about your cabin steward. Bar personnel do not share in the pooled money from the auto-tips as they share in the 15% that is added to the bar bill. They can also keep any additional cash handed to them. You can read about who shares in the various tips here. Look under Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge and Bar and Wine Service Charge.

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/during_cruise/dining.html

 

Read the information in your Disembarkation Information packet the next time you are on a a cruise. It is spelled out very clearly how the auto-tips and cash tips are handled.

[comfortcove]

Excuse me, the poster directly before me said she had never given a cash tip to a steward without them noting her cabin number. I was stating that I have never had that experience. Didn't mean to start a discussion about cash tipping, simply I approve of appreciating the staff, and we are exeperienced enough to know all of the appropriate guidelines.

 

Comfortcove

[Philip217]

There is a more subtle aspect of cruise line tipping that passengers rarely consider.

 

Giving a cash tip - extra or not - to a crewmember is a personal thing. The person giving it is usually quite concerned that the crewmember receiving the cash tip gets to keep it. Crew members are VERY aware of that psychological aspect of the tip.

 

Most crew learned very long ago that if the passenger believes that part of that cash tip might possibly be shared with other crew members who are not known to the tipper, the tip suddenly goes down, or disappears entirely.

 

That's why for the past 50 years, whenever we have been asked who keeps the cash tip, the answer is always an enthusiastic, smiling, "I get to keep it all Sir !!"

[slowpoke58]

We also leave on the auto tips, but I recommend one thing, every few days, be sure to check your account. We have only been on Princess one time, that was the Coral, and saw on CC to do this. When we checked our account after 3 days, it was competely wrong. We had several pages of things charged to our account that was not ours. I don't know how this happened, but when they checked it out, they found out and corrected the amount, and I am talking about over $200.00. So please check your account just to make sure it is all correct and not wait until you get your bill.

 

I wish Princess would do what RCCL does, you can check your account on the TV each day to make sure it is correct.

 

Slowpoke58

[LARGIN]

There is a more subtle aspect of cruise line tipping that passengers rarely consider.

 

Giving a cash tip - extra or not - to a crewmember is a personal thing. The person giving it is usually quite concerned that the crewmember receiving the cash tip gets to keep it. Crew members are VERY aware of that psychological aspect of the tip.

 

Most crew learned very long ago that if the passenger believes that part of that cash tip might possibly be shared with other crew members who are not known to the tipper, the tip suddenly goes down, or disappears entirely.

 

That's why for the past 50 years, whenever we have been asked who keeps the cash tip, the answer is always an enthusiastic, smiling, "I get to keep it all Sir !!"

Philip... Agree... l know you work for another cruise line but the same holds true for Princess according to my Princess crew friends....

[ANYPORT]

:confused: Okay as a newbie, bear with me here.....

 

On our recent cruise, we left on our auto-tips, however at the end of the cruise we tipped cash to waiters, maitre d', wonderful coffee staff in International cafe :D - We didn't have any envelopes ..... (not on the long list of all the things you said I'd need!!):eek: Anyhow would they all have been able to keep the cash - they didn't say we had to sign it or put it in envelopes..... they just said thank-you.

 

On the question of extra gratuities, what about the extra tip you can sign for at the bars, pool-side etc do these servers get to keep them or are they pooled?

[chamima]

There is a more subtle aspect of cruise line tipping that passengers rarely consider.

 

Giving a cash tip - extra or not - to a crewmember is a personal thing. The person giving it is usually quite concerned that the crewmember receiving the cash tip gets to keep it. Crew members are VERY aware of that psychological aspect of the tip.

 

Most crew learned very long ago that if the passenger believes that part of that cash tip might possibly be shared with other crew members who are not known to the tipper, the tip suddenly goes down, or disappears entirely.

 

That's why for the past 50 years, whenever we have been asked who keeps the cash tip, the answer is always an enthusiastic, smiling, "I get to keep it all Sir !!"

 

Philip... Agree... l know you work for another cruise line but the same holds true for Princess according to my Princess crew friends....

 

So are you telling us that EVERYTHING gets pooled?

[LARGIN]

So are you telling us that EVERYTHING gets pooled?

 

Leaving the auto-tip in place was inferred.. He was saying how the crew would respond if asked if they get to keep the tip..

 

Auto-tip left on.. Crew gives additional $$ received to supervisor in envelope with name and cabin number written on it. At the end of cruise, supervisor returns envelope and crew is happy.

 

Auto-tip removed.. Crew gives additional $$ to supervisor in envelope with name and cabin number written on it. At the end of cruise, supervisor places $$ into tip pool for all crew to share. Crew member is very unhappy.

[j!m]

there must be hundreds of threads about the whole tipping thing on cruise ships here. brits are cheap, americans dont understand, and everybody seems to tip extra. SURE!

 

we pay the auto tips, i dont tip any extra in the bars or when i go and get a beer for myself at lunch in the buffet, why should i, the bill includes 15%.

 

we often but NOT ALWAYS tip some cash to our room steward and waiter if we think they exceeded our expectations

 

on other lines we usually hava butler but have never found the need to tip him extra, figure it was already in the room price and never really use them anyway

 

but thatsit

 

frankly dont understand the concern op seem to have

 

you are ona trip/holiday hava good time and dont worry about who should be tipped this or that

 

do what you think is right

[Suskies]

My daughter has worked as a server in several American chain restaurants. They all have an unofficial practice called "tipping out." When she got her tips at the end of the night, she would share some with the people in the kitchen, the bus attendants, and so on. She knew that if she didn't, they'd be slow on getting her tables' food out, slow on getting her tables cleaned, etc.

 

I wonder if the same thing happens on cruise ships, especially since everyone is in such tight quarters. Does the room steward (voluntarily, but under some peer pressure) share some of his tips with the staff in the laundry room, for example? Does the dining steward share some of his tips with the kitchen staff who get his special orders done quickly?

[Sherri1]

We had a waiter on one cruise who was forever apologizing for us having

to wait for our food so long. It turns out there is an order to things in the

kitchen based on on nationality of the serves/ cooks, etc.

Our waiter was the odd man out and hence he waited longer after placing his orders..

[NC-17]

You will surprised how much money for those crew members,

Who make up your bed two times a day?

Who serving your breakfast, lunch and dinner for every single day?

Who pick up you dirty dishes at buffet table?

Who bring your drink at the pool, bar?

Who work behind the close "crew member" door?

That's so many crew member just to make your vacation go smoothly.

 

They are only make between US$ 50.00 -100.00 a MONTH. Yes, thier income are depending on your "Gratuities"

They have to work about 11 hours a day. Day Off are limited to take turn with another fellow crews and only when they are at port. Most of the times they have to work 7 days a week for 10 months straight until they can fly back home. They live in a close quarter with another roommate which smaller than inside stateroom. If they want to call home, then buy a phone card for $10.00 per hour.. Hair Cut..That's depend but upto $10.00 and provide by fellow crew member. A few things they don't have to pay are food, room on board and airplane tickets to go back home or reposition at another port.

 

And some of the time, the vacationer from certain country will refuse to

pay for automatic gratuties which they are not belived in.

 

So by the end of the month, thier income is running around US$ 1200.00

it's up and down. please remember they are working 11 hours a day, 7 days a week and for 10 months. If they don't get the day off at ports, they will get another 4 hours of extra sleep.

[Cruisin' Chick]

My daughter has worked as a server in several American chain restaurants. They all have an unofficial practice called "tipping out." When she got her tips at the end of the night, she would share some with the people in the kitchen, the bus attendants, and so on. She knew that if she didn't, they'd be slow on getting her tables' food out, slow on getting her tables cleaned, etc.

 

I wonder if the same thing happens on cruise ships, especially since everyone is in such tight quarters. Does the room steward (voluntarily, but under some peer pressure) share some of his tips with the staff in the laundry room, for example? Does the dining steward share some of his tips with the kitchen staff who get his special orders done quickly?

 

That's that the tip pool is for. Some of the auto-tip goes to the behind the scenes personnel that help your cabin steward and your waitstaff serve you. Not sure about anything extra (above the auto-tips) you give to them...maybe someone with inside knowledge will know if the cabin steward has to divy up his extra tips with his support staff.

[LETS PARTY]

You will surprised how much money for those crew members,

Who make up your bed two times a day?

Who serving your breakfast, lunch and dinner for every single day?

Who pick up you dirty dishes at buffet table?

Who bring your drink at the pool, bar?

Who work behind the close "crew member" door?

That's so many crew member just to make your vacation go smoothly.

 

They are only make between US$ 50.00 -100.00 a MONTH. Yes, thier income are depending on your "Gratuities"

They have to work about 11 hours a day. Day Off are limited to take turn with another fellow crews and only when they are at port. Most of the times they have to work 7 days a week for 10 months straight until they can fly back home. They live in a close quarter with another roommate which smaller than inside stateroom. If they want to call home, then buy a phone card for $10.00 per hour.. Hair Cut..That's depend but upto $10.00 and provide by fellow crew member. A few things they don't have to pay are food, room on board and airplane tickets to go back home or reposition at another port.

 

And some of the time, the vacationer from certain country will refuse to

pay for automatic gratuties which they are not belived in.

 

So by the end of the month, thier income is running around US$ 1200.00

it's up and down. please remember they are working 11 hours a day, 7 days a week and for 10 months. If they don't get the day off at ports, they will get another 4 hours of extra sleep.

 

 

they make alot more than 1200.00 pre month......and i'm so glad they do